The Jewel of the Kalderash
The Jewel of the Kalderash (Kronos Chronicles, #3)by Marie Rutkoski
Upon arriving in the Romany homeland to deliver the Mercator Globes, Petra Kronos, Tomik, and Neel formulate a plan to save Petra's father, who has been transformed into a Gray Man. But when a long-held secret is revealed, Neel finds himself bound to his country. The friends are quickly swept up in an epic battle for power. Thrones are at stake. Spies are afoot. Murder is common. Worst of all, Prince Rodolfo is close to becoming emperor, and ruling half of Europe.How much is Petra willing to sacrifice to defend the people she loves? Her search for answers will take her to castles and cities, through mountains, and even underwater as she tests her strength and gambles her life. (goodreads.com)
Release date: October 25, 2011I promise I am not reading books that are releasing in the Fall just to taunt you! I just happen to be dying to read them and I didn't even look at the release date on this once since it's not a review book - it was a gift! (THANK YOU!) As you might remember from my gushing over this series earlier this year, I love the Kronos Chronicles! Once I had this third book in my hands I just couldn't wait!I sort of thought that Petra, Tomik and Neel were going to the Romany homeland to GET the jewel from the Kalderash. At least that is what my memory told me. Apparently I was recalling the end of the second book wrong? Some surprising things happen in this third (and final?) book and I realized two things - I no longer like Petra, she seems rather bratty and self-centered. I liked her very much in that first book and pretty sure enough in the second, but I hated her in this book. I just wanted to smack her and say "Will you maybe take a second to think of someone other than YOURSELF for a while? You don't want to hide, but in doing so you are endangering the lives of your friends! You selfish little brat!"The second think I noticed is that I really, truly liked Neel. I was sort of whatever about him for most of the series and didn't take him very seriously because he seemed the brat until they arrive to his homeland and he grows up - a lot. I was enjoying the chapters about him and his part of the story much more than the ones about Petra and Tomik.Everyone seems to have a cameo in this last (?) book. Iris, who is the something of someplace titled (I can't recall and I never actually realized they were talking about her when they'd rattle off her titled name, so I am sticking with Iris. ;)) John Dee and his daughters (although the daughters were mentioned and didn't actually say anything.) Even Sadie over at the Prince's palace was around.Oh, and the Prince! Whereas I found him evil and creepy like anything in the first book, he was sort of an unimpressive bad guy this time around. I think that was mostly because he was on the peripheral of the story and not directly involved with the characters until the end. Those Grey Men freak me out, though.I still think the first book is my favourite in this series, but I loved each book that has followed in its own way. My one problem with The Jewel of the Kalderash was my dislike of Petra. It was so strong that I wasn't enjoying her parts of the story as much as I wanted to. She treats people like crap (mostly Tomik and Neel). I just don't like the person she has become and I am certain that was shaped by what's been going on with her. However, I have read other fantasy stories where the protagonist goes through a lot and is still able to think of others as well during their struggles. Petra just loses sight of everyone else and focuses on her, her, her and saving her father. People died because of her and she needed to think of that but she didn't it seemed.Oh, and there are a couple of parts in the story that had me close to tears - once at the stupid hair salon while I was under the cooker for 30 minutes!! They had to do with Astrophil who is the ONLY spidery type thing I will EVER care for. Thankfully I didn't burst into tears in public (or later, at home) because what I thought was happening didn't. Still. I couldn't believe I was so attached to a SPIDER (metallic or not). I will miss him the most from these books and sort of wish I had an Astrophil of my very own.Kronos Chronicles